Chrysocephalum plant named ‘FLOCHRDEF’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysocephalum  named FLOCHRDEF, characterized by its grey-green foliage, orange inflorescence color, many flowering shoots per plant, many inflorescences held on long racemes, long flowering period, and its compact plant habit.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysocephalum plant, botanically known as Chrysocephalum apiculatum (formerly Helichrysum apiculatum), and referred to by the variety denomination ‘FLOCHRDEF’. The species is native to Australia and is known by the common names yellow buttons and common everlasting daisy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program carried out by the inventor in Redland Bay, Australia in September 2002. The objective of the breeding program was to create new chrysocephalum cultivars having a compact plant habit, many flowering shoots, long racemes with many inflorescences, silver-grey foliage, and a long flowering period.

The female or seed parent was unpatented Proprietary Selection 02-47. The female parent is characterized by its open plant habit with spatulate leaves sparsely covered with silver hairs, few short racemes with few inflorescences held in tight clusters, and very short involucral bracts which are yellow in color.

The male or pollen parent is unknown since the pollination was performed in isolation using native insects. Possible male parents are unpatented Proprietary Selection 01 - 11 or unpatented Proprietary Selection 01 - 13. Both of these selections are generally characterized by their open pendulous to upright plant habit, small glossy linear leaves, long weeping flowering stalks with few inflorescences held in loose clusters, and very short involucral bracts that are yellow in color.

The first act of asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was accomplished by vegetative cuttings from the selection in August 2003 in a controlled environment in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, by or under the supervision of the inventor. Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successive plantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics of the new cultivar are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, fertilization levels, and day length without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, under normal commercial growing conditions. The age of the plant described is 40 weeks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and have been determined to be basic characteristics of the new cultivar, which in combination distinguish the new cultivar as being new and distinct:

-   -   1. Grey-green foliage     -   2. Many flowering shoots per plant     -   3. Many orange inflorescences per raceme     -   4. Long racemes     -   5. Long flowering period     -   6. Compact plant habit

The new cultivar differs from the possible male parents described above by its compact upright habit, the presence of silver hairs on the leaves, spatulate leaf shape, upright flowering stems, and a greater number of flowering stems per plant, with many inflorescences per raceme. The new cultivar differs from its female parent by the characteristics of compact plant habit, denser silver hairs on the leaves, greater number of flowering stems, and longer racemes containing many more inflorescences in loose clusters.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is the cultivar Chrysocephalum ‘FLOCHRYEL’, disclosed in a pending U.S plant patent application. In comparative testing conducted in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the comparison cultivar as described in Table 1:

TABLE 1 Trait ‘FLOCHRDEF’ ‘FLOCHRYEL’ Silver hairs on leaves dense very dense Leaf color grey-green silver-grey Inflorescence color orange lemon Number of inflorescences 12 to 19 5 to 11 per raceme Number of racemes very many many per plant Raceme length 13 cm 4 cm Shoot length 25 cm 15 cm

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The top photograph shows an overall view of a typical flowering plant of the new cultivar, 16 weeks after planting a vegetative cutting.

The bottom photograph shows in detail the capitula on a raceme of the new cultivar.

The photographs show the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. If any differences exist between the photographic color and the color values described below, the values in the detailed description are accurate.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart. The values are based on plant material 40 weeks old grown in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, and the values were taken on approximately May 1, 2007.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysocephalum apiculatum ‘FLOCHRDEF’.     -   -   Seed parent.—Unpatented Proprietary Selection of             Chrysocephalum apiculatum identified by Code No. 02 - 47.         -   Pollen parent.—Unknown for reasons noted above. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Tip cuttings.         -   Time and temperature to initiate roots.—Summer, about 21 to             28 days at 25 to 30 deg. C in a greenhouse; winter, about 35             to 42 days at 15 to 25 deg. C in a greenhouse.         -   Rooting description.—Fine to fibrous; pale brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance and form.—Compact and bushy growth habit;             upright and rounded plant form, with long racemes held above             the foliage.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching with lateral             branches forming at every node to produce a dense and bushy             plant.         -   Plant habit.—Dome shaped, compact, freely branching,             vigorous plant.         -   Plant height (measured from top of soil line).—25 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—60 cm.         -   Time to produce mature plant.—After rooting, about 12 weeks             are required to produce finished flowering plants in 14 cm.             pots.         -   Plant hardiness.—Plant will grow and continuously flower in             Queensland, Australia. -   Branches:     -   -   Number of branches per plant.—1082 .         -   Length.—7.5 cm.         -   Width.—1.5 cm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.9 mm.         -   Orientation.—Erect.         -   Texture.—Both upper or outer and lower or inner surfaces are             moderately pubescent.         -   Color.—195 D. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, linear to spatulate, broadly             sessile.         -   Length.—2 to 3 cm.         -   Width.—About 7 mm.         -   Shape at apex.—Apiculate.         -   Shape at base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire, incurved.         -   Color of young foliage.—Upper surface: 189 B Lower surface:             196 A.         -   Color of mature foliage.—Upper surface: 194 A Lower surface:             194 C. Leaf texture: Upper surface moderately pubescent,             lower surface densely pubescent. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   lnflorescence.—Raceme on long stems; involucral bracts and             disc florets develop acropetally on pedicelled capitula that             are circular in shape.         -   Number of capitula per raceme.—14 .         -   Number of racemes per plant.—505.         -   Diameter of mature capitulum.—5.8 mm.         -   Depth (height) of mature capitulum.—6.0 mm.         -   Disc florets.—Tubular disc florets massed in the center of             the receptacle with one to two whorls of filiform florets at             the perimeter of the disc.         -   Quantity per inflorescence.—About 70 .         -   Shape.—Tubular with 5 lobes.         -   Length.—About 4.5 mm.         -   Diameter at apex.—Less than 0.5 mm.         -   Color of mature discs.—23 A.         -   Natural flowering season.—Perpetual flowering in Redland             Bay, Queensland, Australia.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—At one time, more than 505             racemes containing more than 7000 flowers and buds per             plant.         -   Fragrance.—Sweet musky fragrance.         -   Bud.—Shape: Roughly ovoid. Length: About 4.0 mm. Diameter:             About 3.5 mm. Color: 14A.         -   Involucral bracts.—Number per capitulum: 128. Shape:             Ligulate, reflexed. Length: About 3.8 mm. Width: About             0.6 mm. Texture: Upper and lower surfaces; smooth, papery,             stiff. Color: Underside 17 B, upper side 16 A. Peduncles:             Average length 12 cm, surface texture densely pubescent:             color 196D. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Androecium.—Present only on disc florets, five in number;             minute.         -   Arrangement.—Fused anther tube with five long thin linear             anthers surrounding the style.         -   Anther length.—Less than 1 mm.         -   Anther color.—Yellow.         -   Amount of pollen.—Moderate.         -   Pollen color.—Yellow.         -   Gynoecium.—One present on both filiform and disc florets;             minute.         -   Quantity per floret.—One.         -   Style color.—Yellow-orange.         -   Stigma shape.—Biparted.         -   Stigma color.—Yellow-orange. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—Cylindrical.         -   Length.—1 mm.         -   Diameter.—0.5 mm.         -   Color.—Brown. -   Disease/pest susceptibility: Plants of the new Chrysocephalum have     not been observed to be abnormally resistant to pathogens or pests     common to Chrysocephalum. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new cultivar will tolerate     temperatures from 0 to 40 degrees C. -   Growth retardants: Growth retardants are not necessary to enhance     plant performance. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysocephalum plant named FLOCHRDEF, as illustrated and described. 